Hartlepool residents have diverted almost 900 tonnes of food waste away from general rubbish collections since the borough council introduced the service, with household collections averaging around 30 tonnes every week.
The weekly food waste collections began on a trial basis in November 2025 before rolling out across the borough. Collected food waste is processed by Duranta Energy Ltd and transformed into biogas and natural fertiliser.
How the service works
Every household has been provided with two food waste caddies — a smaller kitchen caddy for collecting food scraps indoors and a larger external caddy into which the contents should be emptied before collection day.
Residents can place most unavoidable and leftover food waste in their caddies, including fruit and vegetable peelings, meat, fish, bones, dairy products, bread, rice, pasta, tea bags and coffee grounds.
Areas with lower participation
Analysis of collection data has shown that food waste collections tend to be lower on Wednesdays. Areas affected include Brierton, Owton Manor, Rift House, the Milbank Road and Lancaster Road area, the Headland and the streets off Elwick Road between Burn Valley Road and Penrhyn Street.
Residents not yet recycling their food waste are being encouraged to start during Recycling Week, running 14–20 September.
Councillor Amanda Napper, Chair of Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services Committee, said: "I would like to thank the thousands of residents who have embraced food waste recycling since the service was introduced. Collecting almost 900 tonnes of food waste is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates how people across Hartlepool are playing their part in reducing waste and protecting the environment."